1st vs 3rd person narration: which is better for fiction books? (Op-Ed)

There’s nothing better than escaping the real world and entering the world of books. When choosing how to narrate the story, writers usually go for one of two categories: 1^st or 3^rd person, but which form reigns supreme?

1^st person narration is when the main character, or characters, talk to the reader. If one character is narrating, they tell the whole story uninterrupted. With several characters, it’ll be broken down into a pattern dependent on the author. Books that fall under 1^st person narration include “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson and “At the End of Everything” by Marieke Nijkamp.

Anderson’s use of one narrator, Melinda, in “Speak” gives readers a deeper connection with the character, who has been through a traumatic event before her first year of high school. The isolation and depression she feels throughout the book make the reader her outlet and, in a way, her friend.

Meanwhile, Nijkamp’s “At the End of Everything” has three narrators: Logan, Grace, and Emerson. Living in a juvenile correction center that was abandoned during a global crisis, the book is based on COVID, the narrators bring the readers with them on their fight for survival. Telling the story through three characters shows different people’s reactions to the same situation and gives readers multiple perspectives and interesting backstories. Ultimately, this form of 1^st person is about forming a connection between the narrators.

3^rd person narration is when the author is telling the story. Again, the focus can be on one or multiple main characters. Rather than connecting with the characters, readers watch their lives play out.

“Just Stay Away” by Tony Wirt mostly focuses on one character, a stay-at-home dad, and reads like a typical “psychopathic kid” movie plays out. It creates a mental movie that the reader controls and does so in an entertaining style.

Liane Moriarty’s “Truly, Madly Guilty”, meanwhile, jumps between multiple families that are, in a way, connected. It’s more like a soap opera or a series the reader gets to create in their mind and, while at times complicated to follow, it all eventually comes together.

So, is one form better than the other? Well, it depends on what the author wants. If they want the characters and situations to be relatable to their readers, they’re more likely to opt for 1^st person. Otherwise, 3^rd person would be the better option.